Jayashankar had been suffering from cancer and underwent a treatment at a hospital in Hyderabad. He was, however, brought back to his home at Hanamkonda here, where he breathed his last today morning, family sources said.

TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao and a number of Telangana leaders across the political spectrum expressed sorrow over the death of Jayashankar.

The TRS president left for Warangal soon after hearing the news of Jayashankar's death.

A native of Warangal district, Jayashankar had his early education in the town and later did his post-graduation and PhD in economics from Banaras Hindu University and Osmania University in Hyderabad.

Jayashankar worked as a lecturer in Warangal and rose to become the Vice Chancellor of Kakatiya University in Warangal.

Jayashankar had been a strong advocate of separate Telangana since his youth and participated actively in the separate statehood agitation in 1969.

It was Jayashankar who offered lime juice to the TRS president when the latter broke his famous fast for Telangana in December, 2009.

Respected as an ideologue by Telangana supporters of all hues, Jayashankar used to campaign for separate state even before TRS and other parties took up the cause in 2001.

Condoling the death of Jayashankar, several Telangana leaders said the fitting tribute to the departed soul would be to realise the goal of separate Telangana.